The Problem with Engineers
by RosaS
Summary: After defeating Khan, the Enterprise is up and running again; but as the best ship in the Fleet, it needs to have only the best personnel. Enter Commander Alexander, a talented engineer with a few pointers for Scotty. Later chapters will include: Scotty/OC, but for now, just settling in and adventures on the Enterprise.
1. Chapter 1

**Unfortunately, I do not own Star Trek, only my OCs. Based on the slightly cheekier characters in the remake - set after ST:ID. Please feel free to review - keeps me motivated to write! :)**

**An Unfortunate Introduction**

"Don't ya see what they're doing here, Jim?" Scotty looked exasperated, carrying his Padd under one arm, other arm flailing about as they walked through one of the main halls in the engineering deck of the ship. As for an answer to his question, Jim just tilted his head, as though he knew what was coming next.

"A madman steals one of my inventions – one that I'd been working on for years in that god damn icy space base a million miles away – and Starfleet in all of their wisdom, want to send down an 'advisor' for 'observation'" Scotty stopped to face Kirk at one of the control panels.

"I really don't know why you're so against the whole idea," Jim finally slipped in, eyes twinkling with what anyone would have recognized as mischief. Well, anyone but Mr Scott.

"Are ye sayin'…" Scott started but was soon cut off by a comm call from Mr Spock to the Captain.

"The Engineer posted by Starfleet Headquarters has just been beamed aboard sir. Would you like me to send Commander Alexander down to the Engineering Deck?"

"Yes, escort the Commander if you will, Mr Spock."

"Acknowledged."

Jim smiled at Scotty as he seemed to resign himself to the fact that he would be getting a friend to keep an eye on engineering whilst he was in charge. How lovely. The doors swished open to Mr Scott's office, the room looking like a shrine to kilts and whiskey. Jim gripped the others shoulder.

"You really have nothing to worrying about Scotty. They're here to observe, not stop you from doing what you love."

Scotty, with his back to the door, put his Padd down on the desk and reached down to his drinks cabinet, loudly clinking the two glasses onto the desk surface, whilst rummaging around to find the bottle. He had Romulan ale in mind, a little something he… 'procured'… on an earlier trip, but if it was in here, it was hiding well. The doors almost silently swished open again, Scotty oblivious.

"I'll bet you anything you want Jim, they're sending down some pompous, arrogant old bag, posh accent, never seen a ship in their life to send little reports back to Starfleet behind my back and trying to trip me up on some technicality…" he spun around, an alternative tipple in hand.

"Ahem… Scotty, this is Commander Livia Alexander. Miss Alexander, this is Commander Montgomery Scott." Scotty looked at Jim confused. A new cadet as well as an observer from Starfleet? She was about the same age as him, maybe a year younger, fresh faced. To put it bluntly she was one of the most beautiful specimens he had ever seen. Dark hair and dark eyes framed with long eyelashes – and the palest skin he ever did see on a human.

"Oh aye, and you're working in Engineering now, are you?"

"Oh yes, Mr Scott, I'm the pompous arrogant old bag you were talking about," She smirked a little and dipped her head to acknowledge him.

"Ah…"

Meanwhile in the background of the awkward silence, Jim was trying to contain himself. Even Spock looked vaguely amused at Mr. Scott's predicament. The Captain and his first officer just exchanged glances and then all eyes were on Scotty. Scotty's eyes glazed over as his brain struggled to take in the information just given to him. His mouth with slightly open when suddenly reality hit him like a freight train and his brain went into overdrive: 'Just say something, say anything' he mentally shouted.

"About that…" Great! Was that all my brain could come up with? Scotty thought.

"It's quite alright. I have been posted on your ship to learn from you, Mr Scott. Not prevent you from doing anything. I have helped teach engineering at the academy a few years after I graduated, and it's about time I actually got on a ship," she looked around, "I helped build the Enterprise – your ship."

She then nodded and walked out of the door with Mr Spock – no doubt to find out where her quarters were situated. Jim stood looking at Scotty. Jim "Perfect hair, I'll bed anything female with a heartbeat" Kirk broke out into a childlike grin, hands apart as some sort of apologetic gesture.

"You bastard, you bloody bastard"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Mr Scott," Jim grinned at the Scotsman, making a beeline for the door. Scotty followed.

"You knew she looked like that and you let me call her a pompous arse - in front of her!"

"Arse?" Jim's American accent didn't quite make that word sound right, but he continued, "I though it was 'old bag', but yeah, you probably shouldn't have done that"

The two men were pretty much jogging through engineering now, one trying to catch up with the other, to the bewilderment of the ensigns they were snaking through. Until one asked Mr Scott a question and Jim disappeared into the bodies, most likely nearing the turbolift. Scotty sighed.

"Yes, what's the question, Mr Johnson?"

Thanks for reading - should be updated soon! Again, any comments/ideas/reviews are lovely!


	2. Chapter 2

**Meet the Crew**

"Captain, you appear flushed," Spock remarked as Jim pretty much clawed the turbolift doors open to reveal the Bridge and her crew. She was a beautiful ship alright and her crew took good care of her. Jim would often be sitting in the chair and admire the expertise of the people around him. If ever he needed to know that he was in good hands, all he needed to do was to look up.

"Nah, just wanted to be up here on time Mr Spock," Jim waved away the notion that he was possibly flushed because he wanted to make sure a certain Scotsman wouldn't catch up to him while he was 'returning to duty' – he wasn't teasing Scotty – never. The Captain dropped down the slight step to the chair that he still couldn't quite believe he could call his own. It swivelled as he pulled it towards him and Jim sunk down into the comfortable cushioning, sighing. Spock also descended the step to take his place beside Jim as they looked out of the viewing screen. They'd be off soon and everyone was checking their instruments and measurements and God knows what else to ensure that everything ran smoothly.

Sulu turned around in his chair and smiled at the man behind him. "Looking forward to the mission, Captain?" "You betcha!" without any thought came the characteristically confident answer. Jim was waiting for this mission – I mean, he could call himself an explorer now, right?

Next to Sulu sat Pavel Chekov, the young, but shy Russian genius, curly hair all messy, but to his credit, his uniform was absolutely crease-less, like literally he had been ironing it all night and day and maybe a little bit longer. Jim smirked at the idea, but managed to break his gaze as he looked on at Uhura. Who didn't? Sassy and ambitious, Kirk had no idea to this day why she picked Spock – especially over his own charisma and natural charm. He had a private theory that Spock might have hypnotised her with a Vulcan mind spell, but Spock had assured him numerous times that Vulcans were not magical beings and that the notion of magic in this universe was 'highly illogical'. But surely those rumours of pixies and elves and imps on Earth had a grain of truth, right? Those ears…

"Thought I might find you up here! First duty of the mission, you get into my office and pass a medical exam," a familiar Southern voice resonated from the entrance to the Bridge. Jim didn't have to look to know that Bones was approaching him rapidly and that he was almost definitely holding a hypo in one hand if Jim were to 'resist'. Jim swirled around, "Let me at least get us out of the Dock, Bones?"

"You've got 24 hours, Jim-boy, and if you don't come to me, you know that I'll be coming for you"

"An ominous statement, Doctor," Spock interjected. "For a man renowned for weaselling out of every medical exam put to him, I don't think it's out of place, Mr Spock," Bones' quick fire wit shot back at the Vulcan, who seemed to silently agree with the Doctor. Bones was one of the most caring men in this universe, Jim was sure of it. Grumpy, sometimes irrational, 'too emotionally guided for a man of medicine' (as Spock put it), but one thing was for certain – Leonard McCoy was born to be a doctor.

Jim's mind went back to Scotty, no doubt making his way to the Bridge as he spoke, and his new 'assistant'. Was that the right word? It was certainly more professional than 'helper', which sounded suspiciously like one of Santa's little minions, but truly she was more than that. Jim brought up her resumé as the crew were busying themselves with the final motions of communicating with Starfleet, checking engines, checking navigation systems and so on.

An exemplary student throughout her life. Born in England – _at least Scotty got the 'posh accent' right _– and accepted into Starfleet when she had already completed a degree in Genetics. She was a Science and Engineering wizkid. Like a girl version of Chekov, Jim thought. Her grades in the Academy were outstanding – which can only mean one thing, Jim thought to himself – she didn't party hard enough. Evidently, he couldn't hide his smirk, as his First Officer raised an eyebrow at him, eyeing the resumé on his Padd.

"She does have a most acceptable record as a Science and Engineering Student. I believe she was specially selected to carry on teaching cadets at the Academy for this reason. I believe her insight into the workings of the ship will be most interesting,"

Jim and Spock exchanged glances and finally Jim chipped in: "Especially for Scotty."

The turbolift doors opened to reveal the man himself, arms crossed, leaning on the Engineering console, having checked and double checked every system he could think of.

"Engineering is ready when you are Captain," Scotty announced more to the crew than to the captain. Jim could only wonder why.

"Very good, Mr Scott. Let's go explore Mr Sulu," he gave Hikaru the nod and the ship roared into life. They were on their way.

**Thanks for reading. Updates to come soon. Reviews and Ratings much appreciated. :)**


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